Knock, Knock (OG)
by Kagome Chronicles
Summary: Kagome Higurashi is the last woman on Earth. So, what happens when she hears a knock on the door... (Not AU; post-anime) Expect riddles, mysteries, lost romances, and secrets. If you like solving mysteries, this is the fic for you!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The End of the World**

 **Surprisingly, this is not an AU. This is a post-anime fic where Kagome never was able to return after three years. It's based on a two sentence horror story written by Frederick Brown that reads:**

 ** _The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door..._**

 **However, this isn't horror. This is an adventure, suspense filled journey across many lands that I don't think you see in many of these fics.**  
 **It will be posted in short chapters, mostly never exceeding 3,000 words because I want to update faster. I really loved this idea and I hope you do, too! Please remember to review and let me know how everything is going!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I also do not own Frederick Brown's quote.**

* * *

She never really knew what happened or why. Everything had been normal for so long. She had graduated high school and worked as a waitress to make some extra cash before heading off to university. She had friends and a healthy social life. She stressed over tests, boys and her appearance. She had almost completely transformed herself into a normal teenage girl.

But she couldn't move on from him. That was her fault. She checked the well every three days, even if it was just to take a peek. There was always some hope that it would open again, and she could travel back to the Feudal Era. The one thing she wanted more than to be normal was go back to Inuyasha.

It had been three years since Kagome was sucked in the Shikon Jewel with Naraku and won by wishing the jewel gone forever. She had been 18 the end had begun.

And it was on one of the many third days in her cycle that it happened. Her mother was asking for some help with dinner, but Kagome ignored her. Souta wanted some help with summer work, and Kagome ignored him, too. Gramps needed assistance at the stores, and, once again, she just walked right by. It was the well she was looking for. Hope swelled up inside of her like a balloon, and she practically floated inside of the shrine, landing a mere inches away from the Bone Eater's Well, excited running to it and leaning her head in to see if she could even just sense its powers.

But, like every other time, the well had proved itself useless. It had died along with the jewel she supposed, and there was no way to resurrect it.

But on that day, she had found herself drenched in her sadness. She had curled next to the well, pretending the outside world didn't exist, shutting her eyes so hard that it hurt. She was usually able to pick herself up from the disappointment, but just couldn't anymore. If a weight had been lifted, it fell back on her, and she felt herself wishing away the world just to have Inuyasha back.

And, in a few minutes, she had sunken so low, she was practically flirting with insanity. Her fingers had dug into the wood of the well, and she couldn't stop thinking to herself that she would never let go. She pushed herself closer and closer into it. Her quiet thoughts turned into screams and that turned into her repetitive whispers.

"Save me. Save me. Save me." She couldn't stop the monotone murmurs as the unexplainable sorrow filled mania took control of her mind. It had almost been automatic.

And something peculiar happened as she had been drowning herself in a depression induced tears and lunacy. The well doors had closed, and all the outside light faded as the shadows covered them. The soft breeze that had been flying in was no longer there to play in her dark strands.

Kagome heard screams. She knew she did. She heard crashes and explosions and calls for help. And they registered as they were in her head. And yet, her nails only dug further into the well, and she continued to murmur as if nothing was happening. Her eyes remained closed, her body pressed against the wood, refusing to part from it. And she remained that way until her tears put her to sleep.

And when she had woken up, she didn't really know why she had been so attached to the Bone Eater's Well that day. In fact, when she rose, she found it painfully easy to move away from it, ready to continue her day as she planned, shoving Inuyasha into the back of her mind.

She had only partially remembered the loud noises she had heard from inside the shrine during her short-lived period of madness. When she opened the shrine doors, those screams and explosions didn't even seem important. She assumed they were imagined.

Kagome Higurashi learned all too soon that they weren't.

Her house was a mess. Broken plates, drawers pulled out, clothes and furniture scattered about. But there was not a single soul in sight.

She spent the next three days wandering the depths of the Japan. Looking for just one person. Anyone. She would have been fine with absolutely anyone.

But she never did.

All she found was a city that looked like it was planning an evacuation. Front doors were open. Nothing was locked. Suitcases were open on lawns. Cars were crashed into streetlights.

But the most nonsensical discovery was that there were no bodies. Not dead. Not alive. Just nothing. There was no way for Kagome to know what happened. She just knew that it did.

However, that was five years ago. Kagome Higurashi was twenty-three years old now, living as the last woman on Earth in the same Higurashi home. She had no hope for any change. She had tried to communicate with any remaining people using radios, phones and computers, but never got a response. But she had made the startling discovery that electricity hadn't gone out, even years after. It was almost like something was keeping it going, though she had visited the electrical plants and found no one.

No channels worked, all website servers were down, and the radio only gave back static. But she was able to spend most of her time watching old movies and shows. Which is all she did lately. Watch movies and cry.

And after watching some romantic comedy, she ran up to her room, closed and locked the door, and cried. She locked the door whenever she went into her room. She locked it when she slept and when she was just hanging around. And it was only her room door that she locked. She didn't know why. Perhaps it made her feel like old times when she didn't want Souta bothering her.

Even so, today was a normal day for her now. And she cried into her pillow nonetheless, letting doubts and self-blame enter into her mind.

 _This is my punishment. I was never able to let Inuyasha go, so my family had to deal with my obsession with the well. I wasn't there for them. And now I'm here by myself._

She whimpered quietly, not that it mattered. She knew she could scream if she wanted. She could yell at the emptiness and it wouldn't matter. No one would ever be there to hear it.

And yet, she continued to be quiet. To speak quietly to herself. To whisper 'excuse me' if she burped. She didn't like sneezing loud. If she laughed, she covered her mouth to muffle it. It wasn't even automatic, it was purposeful. And none of it made any sense. It was logically unnecessary. But she did it anyways.

 _I will never let go, either. Even if I never check the well again, he will always be on the back of my mind. And I will continue to be punished for all eternity._

As she stayed miserably sprawled out on her bed, she took in the sounds of nature, listening to the wind shake the trees. And as her ears focused on the noises, she couldn't help but notice little thumps coming from downstairs.

They were like footsteps.

 _I must be going crazy now. Though it's long overdue... Maybe I'll just ignore it. Nothing is down there. No one will ever be down there._

But the steps continued and continued. The creaks of the stairs rang through her room and she gripped her blankets tight in her sweaty hands. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, they weren't going away. In fact, they were getting closer.

And they came. And they came. Until they were so close that Kagome held her breath. And then, they stopped. Quiet filled the room again. She exhaled in relief. Nothing was out there. Nothing could be out there. Everyone was dead and gone.

And she continued to listen to the shaking of the trees, daydreaming about nothing.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Now, her life stopped. And it flashed white as she processed the noise that just violated her ears. Her breath sped up, and she gripped onto her chest, thinking nothing but gibberish, confused and unable to satisfy that confusion. She couldn't help the denial that was exploding inside of her. She was the last person on Earth. There couldn't exist another who would knock on her door.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Maybe it was God coming down to finally collect her soul. Perhaps it was the devil ready to drag her to hell.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

She managed to sit up, keeping her eyes glued to the bedroom door. The bed creaked as she moved and she cursed herself for it. She wasn't sure if she was ready for whoever was out there to know for sure that she was here.

No, she wasn't.

And yet, she found herself standing. Moving closer to the door. The knob began to shake as though whoever was on the other side was desperately trying to open it. But she didn't stop. She kept moving until she was face to face with the door.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

She reached for the knob...

 **I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I know, no one likes cliffhangers. Though, I am excited to get the next chapter up.**

 **Now, I don't want to make this fic too predictable. So, I'll be working on that. Review and let me know who you think is behind the door!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: What a** **Surprise**

 **Well, I've gotten some really good guesses for who is behind the door. I won't say if any are right, but I'm happy you guys are enjoying it!**

 **Hope you all like this chapter!**

As she felt the cold metal of the knob, she hesitated. Kagome heard the footsteps. She heard the reality-breaking knocking on her door. And she hesitated. No voice had called forward, revealing the identity of the intruder. She had no idea what she would find.

She narrowed her eyes, almost wishing she could see through the wood of the door and take a peek. Her hand was shaking and her nasal breathing had intensified.

 _What does it matter who is behind this door? Aren't I tired of this loneliness? ... There is no reason for me to hesitate. The life I'm living... it's just not worth protecting at all costs._

She steadied herself. Her front teeth pressed against her bottom lip with nervousness etched in her expression. She had flirted with the idea of finding someone again. And the time had arrived after five years of purposeless loneliness. And yet, she still hesitated.

The knocks had stopped a while ago. She had been standing there for a few minutes with her hand on the knob. She hadn't heard the unknown person leave. No more footsteps. No more sounds but the rustling of the trees.

 _Maybe I did imagine this. Maybe I'll find nothing behind this door._

The idea of being met with disappointing emptiness frightened her almost as much as the other possibilities. But she knew she could never hide behind her door forever. So, she slowly turned the knob, hearing the click as it automatically unlocked. Time had slowed a bit. She could feel her movements drag on.

As the ticks on some non-existent clock continued to move at a lesser pace, Kagome found that she had turned the knob all the way, and all that was left to do was pull the door open.

This was it. She had made it this far. There was nothing left for her to do.

She pulled slowly at first, the all at once, shutting the lids of eyes closed, shielding herself for one last moment before her life was changed again.

And at first, she did nothing. She heard nothing but the door slamming against her room wall. She felt nothing but the air around her. However, she kept her eyes closed. Waiting until the moment she would have to open them. Waiting until this new arrival backed her into a corner and forced her to acknowledge this.

But she didn't expect this.

"Kagome. My murderer. We meet again." A familiar voice slithered into her unexpecting ears. It was deep, almost like a hiss, but not so much threatening. No, this clever toned voice didn't appear to be hiding any malice behind it.

And suddenly, she just knew who it was.

"Naraku..." Her eyes flashed open, vision blurry at first. But as the view pieced itself together, she found herself face to face with the same man she thought she killed eight years ago. Black, mangled locks fell almost to the floor, and his small, red eyes pierced through to her. Though they were not angry.

"Yes. It is me." He shook his head, "Ironic it is that fate have us here again. The last person in the world you thought you'd see again. Undoubtedly, the last you wanted to see."

Kagome blinked, trying to make sense of this. Naraku should have died almost 500 years ago. And by her wish, too. With the jewel, Naraku should perished. And yet, here he was, standing in front of her the same way he had been all that time ago. Not a scratch on him.

 _This can't be good. Naraku is greedy killer... He's evil. Why is he here now? What does he want?_

She contemplated that he was here to kill her. That maybe he in fact had been behind this entire tragedy, and it was all just a means to her suffering. She contemplated it well, picking it apart, knowing that logically, it made sense.

 _I was his enemy. When we were inside the jewel, his greatest desire was to see me in pain. Of course, he fits the profile of a man motivated enough to do this to me..._

She raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain a confident exterior, though investigating him through thought. Her breathing was steady now, chest rising and falling at a 1, 2 pace. She leaned her head to the side, almost wanting to confirm this suspicion. Yes, Kagome Higurashi wanted him to be the mass killer of the world. She would finally have the answers to the questions that have been ever so present in her life, mocking her to no end.

But she couldn't. It was the part of her she couldn't squish that wouldn't accept it.

 _I feel... beyond that accusation. I have known it was the jewel that fueled a great rage inside of him. The evil that existed within it manipulated him. It needed him to hate me so that our battle could sustain its life... But he's just not that man anymore._

"I want to hate you, Naraku." She sighed, "I want to blame you for this, because you've been a monster. I want to use you to satisfy my need to know what happened to this world... But you've been at peace, haven't you?"

A soft smile graced his pale skin, and he shut his eyes, almost as though he was enjoying the thoughts in his head, "Yes, girl. I have."

And while she should have been happy that he was here, and that he was no longer evil, his appearance here begged more questions than it answered. And she already had enough on her plate so far.

"You see, after you wished the jewel away and escaped to your era, the powers of the jewel, now with no vessel, escaped to the place it new best." He began, walking inside of the room and looking around as he spoke, "This place was the Bone Eater's Well. I suppose it went there to return you home, but it lingered, and my soul did with it."

Kagome curiously eyed the man. She knew that she had indeed been returned to her time after destroying the jewel forever, but she had always assumed that its powers had disappeared as well.

"This energy went dormant. Quiet. Almost as if in a deep sleep. But I was awake in conscious thoughtfulness, existing in peace as a silent spirit." He continued, "I was somewhat aware of the happenings in this world. I could hear faint voices, mostly yours, but I never let them interrupt my peace."

Kagome dashed her gaze to the floor, now trying to process what he was saying. Naraku had just stopped moving and, too, was focused out her window, eyeing something in the distance. Almost like a daydream in the sky. And perhaps he was dreaming about his time of peace and solitude.

"So... you're saying that, though the jewel itself was gone, the energy basically transferred to the well?" She wondered, though it was more for clarification to ease her mild disbelief. She'd been at that well so many times and hadn't felt anything.

He chucked, "Yes, Kagome. It's been there, sleeping... But something peculiar happened years ago..." He maneuvered his gaze back to her, "There was a disruption in my peace. One that woke up the power within the well. One that I couldn't ignore..."

"You're talking about the disappearance of everyone else in the world..." She muttered, remembering the oddities of that day. The temporary psychosis that she could never understand.

"Yes. I remember hearing whispers of your name, Kagome. The spirit of the jewel's power... was calling to you." Naraku bit his lip, "I remember sensing the destruction that was happening throughout the world. But most of all, I remember you."

"Me?" She was taken back by this. She didn't recall ever seeing Naraku that day. She never even felt him.

"Kagome, I heard you that day. You kept asking for someone to save you over and over. So, we held onto you. I reached out and found your spirit, and I knew it was you. I-I guess I wanted to make amends." He balled his fists, gulping, "I answered your calls and I beckoned your spirit close. And I held it there until the world fell silent... Until I felt the energy around me go dormant again. And then, I let you go."

Kagome, mouth agape, found that her mind was racing far too quickly for to reach out and grab onto a coherent thought. So, she stood trying to piece together the fragments of the story she now had. She survived because of Naraku. It wasn't a punishment from any God. In fact, she still didn't know why anything happened. But at least she knew it wasn't her fault.

"I wonder if maybe you would have been better off not saved. Though we know not the fate of the rest of the world, perhaps it's better than this lonely life you've been living..." He commented, "But that is besides the point. It wasn't entirely my call anyways. You were already being called to the well. I just helped."

"I-I don't know what to say..." She whispered, looking deep into his red eyes, "...But, it still doesn't explain why you're here. Or...or what happened that day..."

Again, Naraku seemed to sigh in irritation. Though it wasn't directed at her.

"I spend much of my time after that trying to figure out what had happened that day myself. I sensed so much devastation... But could never get a clear understanding of what caused it or why..." He growled, "All I know is that I woke up at the bottom of the well earlier, alive and well, with a message to give to you."

"A message?" She leaned her head to the side, curiously.

He nodded his head, "It was as if it was implanted into my brain. I don't recall being told. What is for certain is that I woke up somehow knowing that I had to tell you this. Perhaps it is from the energy of the jewel..."

"What is it, Naraku?! She almost demanded, sounding somewhat desperate. All she could think was that the message must be some sort of clue to figuring out what happened.

Naraku eyebrows furrowed together, and he seemed to be stressed, "There is no context to it, Kagome. I am hoping you know what it means."

"Just tell me!" She rushed up to him, placing both hands on his shoulders and practically begging to hear it.

He only sighed, "He is here."

 **Well, I hope you're liking it so far! I love the idea of bringing back past villains as allies. I've always wondered what Naraku would be like without his desire to have the jewel.**

 **When I first began the thought process for this fic, I did consider having Sango or Shippo appear. I just couldn't find a good enough connection for them to have with the general story of Kagome being the last woman on Earth. Although, they were good guesses!**

 **Hmm... so what does this message mean? Is it from the well? I guess everyone will have to wait to find out! Hope you're all liking it so far!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Friends and Enemies**

 **Love the comments and everyone who has been keeping up! I hope you enjoy this next chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

Kagome found her bed and slumped into a hunched sitting position, her forehead cradled in the palms of her hands. She hadn't said anything to Naraku after he revealed his message.

And he could see the pained expression on herself that looked like a portrait of disappointment and self-targeted frustration painted with a fine brush. He huffed.

"I take it you do not know what this message means." He crossed his arms, feeling as though his awakened state was somewhat wasted on some silly message. It was clear that it hadn't triggered any sort of positive reaction, and that the 'he' in which the message refers to is still unknown.

Kagome lifted her head from her hands, still seeming somewhat upset, "You know, I should be happy. Even if I don't know the who, at least I know that there is a who out there." She shook her head, "And yet, I feel as though I'm one step back from where I was... I was used to isolation and hopelessness, and now I have hope for answers that are right out of reach..."

"Well, I don't even know who implanted this cursedly vague message in my head, so don't get your hopes up. It could be nothing. It could be something. But it seems there is nothing that you can do right now to find out." He mumbled in the same gruffy tone. Pessimistic lines were etched above his furrowed brows.

"What do you mean nothing? I can go looking! I can investigate!" She protested, detesting his theory that all she had to do was sit still and wait for whoever it was to find her. What if he's not even looking for her? Then it could take years before they bump into each other.

Naraku growled, "Idiot, there is a whole world of possibilities and you think you can investigate? I was sent to deliver you this, it'd be wise to wait for fate to give you the next clue when it sees fit."

With that, the black haired man turned to leave, his movements fluid and sure. He didn't even look back at the woman as he passed through the doorway, satisfied with his message deliverance, but not feeling inclined to remain there any longer to aid in her thoughtful investigation. And the farther the demon strayed, the wider her eyes became.

"Hey! W-Where are you going?" Kagome scrambled off of her bed and rushed over to the doorway to see him already half-way down the stairs. He didn't respond, though, but rather gracefully continued descending at a fixed pace. She watched him with stillness for a bit, trying to figure out why he was leaving just as suddenly as he came.

But when she couldn't figure it out and he disappeared from view in his trek to the back door, she quickly rushed down the stairs to catch up, still wholesomely confused.

"Naraku? Naraku, where are you going?" She asked again, this time not stopping in her tracks. He had made it a few steps out of the house before she grabbed onto his shoulders. He flinched but remained stoic in his expression.

She growled, "Hey! I'm not gonna let you ignore me, you got that? Where are you going?"

This time, he reacted, turning calmly though it was clear that he was a bit irritated, "I'm going to the well to see if I can die again and get back to my eternal peace."

"You're gonna try to kill yourself?" She questioned, appalled at the response.

He shrugged, "Well, I guess I'm not opposed to it."

"You're supposed to help me!" She protested, putting both hands on her hips and leaning forward in anger. She squared her at at him, feeling partly betrayed that he would show up and just leave.

"I'm not _supposed_ to do anything. Now, quit annoying me so I can rest." He tried to turn back towards the shrine, his lips twisted into a frown now, but was stopped by the priestess who grabbed his wrist and pulled.

"You're not going anywhere! Even if I have to drag you, you're helping me." She pulled hard, preventing him from turning his back to her, "I've been through hell here alone, so your eternal peace can wait a bit."

"Kagome, I may not be the monster I was, but I will rip that tongue out of your mouth if that's what it gets for you to shut up." Using the arm she was latched to, he shoved her to the ground and kept moving, now at a quicker pace, to the well.

She fell in a sitting position, a bit shocked that he did that, but not phased by it. She quickly jumped to her feet in pursuit of him again.

"I thought you wanted to make amends!" She shouted, hands balled into trembling fists.

"I did by saving your shitty life. Though I can't say I don't regret it now." He grumbled, feet dragging along until he met the well doors and pushed them open. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw the well, knowing that it was the vessel of the Shikon's dormant powers. And knowing that it was his place of rest.

Although, his contentment didn't last long as he surveyed the room a bit. What he saw quickly caused him to lift an eyebrow, and remain still in his place.

"Naraku! You can't just leave-" Kagome barged in and stopped when she realized the spider demon was heavily concentrated on something in the room. She maneuvered around him and stood at his side, quickly following his gaze and finding a small, decorative jewelry box placed against the well.

"D-Did you put that there?" She cautiously asked, not recognizing the small box from her late grandfather's collection.

Neither removed their gaze from the box.

"No, I'm afraid not." He replied, in a toneless voice.

The box was gold with an eye engraved into the center of the lid, as well as a engraved wave border around the lid and up and down the corners of the box. It was quite pretty in its simplicity, although still creepy.

Kagome took the first step forward towards the mysterious object, moving slow at first but gaining speed. Naraku raised his hand in protest.

"Kagome, you don't just walk up to mysteriously placed objects you stupid-!" Naraku was quickly quieted by her dominating shush. In truth, the priestess was not concerned with the dangers. If Naraku's message was true, it meant that someone or something put the message in his head in the first place. And that same being must have also placed the box on the ground.

She knelt down on one knee in front of the box and completed one last visual analysis, her breathing steady but each beat intense. She blinked, looking for any detail she may have missed. Any answers she could find before even touching the object.

But she found nothing of the sort. Just vague designs on a gold box sitting on the ground.

So, she picked it up, feeling it on the skin of her palms more, becoming more attuned with her senses and still looking for some sort of hidden clues.

"Kagome, be smart. Be cautious." He warned again, steadily watching her movements.

"I'm not an idiot. Stop being so scared and shaky about this!" She turned back towards him, shooting him a look of defiance, "There is literally nothing else we can do but open this."

And he knew she was right. There was not a middle option between opening it and leaving it alone. And if some otherworldly being put it there, it was clear that they wanted to communicate something to them. Ignoring it would not mean being left alone. This mysterious entity would not giving up.

Kagome stood back up and walked back towards her former enemy, box in hand, and faced him. The golden object was sitting in the palm of her hand, while the other hand rested on the lid.

"Here goes nothing." She murmured.

And she lifted the lid off of the box, her eyes squinted for fear of what she might find inside.

But there was nothing but a small, rolled up scroll peacefully resting inside. No tricks. No monsters. No black smoke. Just a scroll.

"Look Naraku!" Kagome quickly handed the box over to him while pulling out the scroll, "This must be another hint!"

He groaned in annoyance, though he was partly relieved that there was nothing malicious hiding inside. Still, he wasn't interest in this mystery and desired the peace and tranquility he had in his death.

Kagome took a peek up at him while she unrolled the paper, ready to read its contents and begin solving the riddle of who Naraku's message was referring to. In fact, she was hoping that she would find the answers to everything.

She peered down to find cursive handwriting scribbled across the discolored page.

"Jump to the Mother City." She raised an eyebrow at the note.

"What the hell does that mean? What's the hell is the Mother City?" Naraku growled, irritated with the lack of direct answers and clear communication. But Kagome just shook her head.

"I...have no idea..." She sighed and looked up to him, "But we're going to find out."

 **Anyone wanna guess what the riddle means?**

 **I have big plans for this fic so please comment and let me know what you think so far! I can't wait to write the next one so review, review, review! I take all comments into consideration to write the best chapters I can!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: New Land**

 **I love all the comments and everyone who has been following along! I changed the genre from suspense to adventure because, while I feel like there is a lot of suspense, adventure is going to fit the later chapters way more.**

 **And I wanted to clarify that this is rated M for language and possible inappropriate themes. (Maybe violence? Who knows how mature that will be.)**

 **But anyways, here goes nothing!**

"It's pretty obvious that Mother City is code for a real place... but where?" Kagome mumbled to herself, pacing back in forth in her family's shrine. Naraku had been standing in place, watching her attempts to crack this riddle in disgust.

In fact, he was sure his negative emotions were being put on display, his face twisted with an annoyed expression. His nose was scrunched up, the corners of his mouth were pointing south, and he squared his eyes, focusing on the priestess, wondering why looks couldn't kill.

"What do you think, Naraku?" She asked, still pacing and looking down at the ground as she thought.

"I think you're a fucking dimwit." He grumbled under his breath.

"What?" This time, she looked up and walked closer, "You gotta speak up."

"I said I think it's your problem, not mine. So, if you'll excuse me, I have to figure out how to die again." He shoved her out of the way, moving forward until he was an inch away from the well. He leaned down, pressing the palm of his hands against the wood. He wanted to feel the Shikon energy. But nothing came through. So, his pale fingers pressed harder and harder, waiting for some sign. He wasn't too keen on ending his own life and preferred for some sort of energy to reclaim his soul, as he wasn't guaranteed the same spot beside the Shikon energy. But he wasn't completely opposed to it. Wherever he went, he'd be peaceful.

"You can't die! Clearly, whoever sent this wants you to help me." Kagome put both hands on his hips, pursing her lips together with attitude.

"Yeah? What makes you say that, dumb girl?" The spider demon whipped his head back, shooting her an aggravated glare with his beady red eyes, "I was just here to give you a message. This is your problem."

"You're the stupid one! Clearly, this...this _thing_ doesn't need you to give me messages! It could have just written me a note." She shot back, clearly unaffected by Naraku's threatening looks, "So, it's obvious that you're alive to do more than be some angry messenger."

He hadn't looked at it that way. Whatever had implanted that message in his head was able to leave Kagome a note in this shrine with no help of his. So, why would this mysterious being revive him just to have him relay a message it could have done itself?

His response to her was silence. She waited, standing in the same position, keeping her eyes locked on him. He turned his head away from her and back towards the well, his pupils shrinking in the wake of this shocking revelation.

"...But why does it need me...?" He huffed.

Kagome sighed, dropping her arms, "I don't know. You're not exactly my ideal person to work with... But we're gonna have to be a team if we're gonna solve this. And the faster we solve this, the faster you can die."

He grunted in response, lifting his hands from the well and standing back up straight. He just could not make sense of this, though he was trying.

"So, are you ready to work with me?" She asked, though it was almost a demand than a question.

"It seems that I don't have much of a fucking choice, now do I?" He turned, "So, just get this over with."

"Good." She nodded in agreement, "So, Mother City has to be code for something. But I've never heard of that phrase before... It can't be Tokyo because we're already here..."

"Kagome, I don't know this era. I don't know Tokyo. I don't know cities. I am useless right now." He quickly growled, showcasing his reluctance to have to work with the priestess, "You figure this out, and when you do, let me know."

He shoved her out of the way, and began stomping in the direction of her house.

"I'm finally able to get some peace and I end up having to help my worthless enemy solve some riddles." He growled, swinging the back door open and barging in, not caring if Kagome was following him or not. In fact, he preferred that she didn't.

She, on the other hand, frowned but didn't run after him. She didn't really have it in her to feel bad for him, but she did know that she was the only one who knows the geography here. He probably wouldn't be much help.

 _Jump to the Mother City? Hmm, if its a reference to someplace, I don't have any internet to search it up... But I do have geography textbooks! Maybe I could find something about a Mother City there!_

She decided to check out her dust filled textbooks, running back into the house with the box in hand, and finding Naraku slumped on her couch.

"Alright, I've got a plan and I need your help!" She shouted, running past him to get to the stairs, "Come on, come on!" She shot up the stairs, taking no time to even make sure the spider demon was behind her.

Kagome bolted through her room door and began pulling out all of her textbooks, picking out the history and geography ones to scavenge through and tossing the others aside. Naraku, though not moving as fast, eventually made it up the stairs to find her flipping through pages like a mad man.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Though it was a question, he sounded more disappointed than anything, "It looks as though you've gone insane just ravaging through those pages." All the useful textbooks were on the ground, where Kagome sat, the golden box sitting atop her bed.

"I'm looking to see if I can find a reference to a Mother City in these textbooks." She continued flipping through pages anxiously.

"Textbooks?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, smart people write them and they're filled with tons of information. You've just gotta look to see if they mention anything about a Mother City." She quickly responded, not raising her eyes from her current book, "Mine is about the geography of Japan. Check some of the other ones."

He scanned the textbooks around Kagome, "Some say History."

"Yes, well there are some World and Japan History books here. They might mention a Mother City, too." She answered, still not concerned with looking at him, "We should check all of these until we find an answer."

He grunted and grabbed a world history book, though instead of rapidly going through the pages, he began reading them. She noticed this, but remained focused in her own search, assuming that if either of them was going to find it, it was her. She knew this world. She's read these textbooks. She had the advantage.

They remained on task for an hour or so, Kagome having almost gone through the whole book.

"The history of this land is quite intriguing." Naraku commented, still not even a quarter of the way through.

"Hey! Quit actually reading it. We gotta hurry up and find this information." She hissed, smoke practically leaking from her nostrils as she sighed angrily.

"You've the same obnoxious attitude that mutt half-breed had." Naraku commented, still reading the textbook with much curiosity. His eyes carefully scanning each word. Even if he didn't know it, he quickly employed the use of context clues to figure it out.

Kagome looked away from the book and over at the spider hanyou, "Huh? You think I'm like Inuyasha?" She blinked in surprise, thinking back to what she said.

"Yes, girl. Both of you stubborn and loud." He grumbled, "Now, shut up."

She only smirked, though, thinking back to his face. Now that he mentioned it, her demand that he hurry up and stay focused was reminiscent of Inuyasha and his constant demands that everyone focus on finding jewel shards. Perhaps he had rubbed off on her.

She grabbed the book again, this time, pretty optimistic with a big grin on her face. She flipped through pages, keeping an eye out for the mention of a Mother City, keeping quiet and keeping his memory in the back of her mind.

Although, that smile faded as she reached the end of the textbook.

"Damn!" She shouted, "It's not in there at all! Which means there's a good chance wherever this Mother City is might be outside of Japan." She threw the book in a fit of rage.

"And why is that such a bad thing?" Naraku looked up at her, ignoring her fit, but trying to understand her point.

"Japan is an island. To get off, we'd have to take a boat or something and it would take forever to travel to other places." She groaned, "And do you know how dangerous it could be?" She didn't know how to fly a plane, and wasn't going to try it now. The boat would be the only other option. And she wasn't an expert sailor, either.

"I am assuming it is quite dangerous, at least for a pesky human." He watched her sigh in aggravation, "But before you have another fit, perhaps you should try to find where the Mother City is first. We can make travel arrangements, then."

She knew he was right. In fact, it bothered her because she's usually the level-headed one in the house when it comes to solving problems. But she guessed maybe years of isolation might make a person a little unstable at times. So, she took a deep breath and picked up a world geography book, rummaging through the chapters, trying to pin-point any mention of a Mother City. Or maybe even something similar at this point. She was tired, she was annoyed, but she was determined.

Another half hour went by with her diligent scanning. Her eyes were dry and lidded, the threat of sleeping becoming ever so apparent to her. The words on each page seemed to require more and more energy to read and she couldn't help but shut her eyes for a second while she conjured up the strength to continue.

She especially liked the gust of wind that flew in through her surprisingly open window. It brushed against her face like the soft caress of a gentle hand. Though, when she heard the pages of the book flap around, she quickly opened her eyes to find that it had skipped almost half the book.

"Of course." She grumbled, "I don't even remember opening that stupid window and now I lost my page."

Naraku looked over at her, breaking his focus on the history book he had, and was about to say something when he saw her eyes widen tremendously at the page in front of her.

"Oh my! N-Naraku!" She yelped, flailing her arms in the air, "I-I think I found it!"

The spider hanyou rose to his feet immediately to walk over and knelt back down besides the sitting priestess.

"Look!" She pointed to a line on the page, "Cape Town, also known as the Mother City, is the second most populous urban area in South Africa." She read the words on the page with much excitement, finally feeling as though she accomplished something important, but when she peered up at the quiet Naraku with a wide grin on her face, it immediately faded when she saw how not amused he was.

"South Africa is a country in Africa, which is a continent far away from here." He stated plainly, effectively bursting her bubble. It was not that she didn't know, but rather, she had been too busy celebrating to even think of that.

"You're right..." She sighed, slumping her shoulders.

"Of course I'm right. I just finished looking at a map." His bitter tone indicated that he, too, was not pleased with their finding. She knew he didn't want to be a part of this, so it must have discouraged him to know that their destination was nearly impossible to get to.

The priestess set the book down on the floor and stood, grabbing the gold box on her bed. She opened it and pulled out the scroll to read again.

"Jump to the Mother City." She read, "Jump to the Mother City."

"I never accused you of not being able to read. There's no reason to repeat-" Naraku was swiftly interrupted by her repetition.

"Jump to the Mother City... _Jump_ to the Mother City! Naraku don't you get it!?" She squealed in delight.

He shrugged, "What are you going on about?"

"The note is telling us to jump! Can't you see what we have to do?" She was practically screaming at him.

"Uhh... no. And would you lower you voice for God's sake. It is almost unbearable how loud you are." He huffed.

She shook her head, "It's literal! We have to jump through the well!"

He gave her a weird look, processing her suggestion and seemly trying to write it off as idiotic and unlikely, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The note did tell them to jump, and the note writer must know the problem with trying to make it to South Africa with no aid.

Yes, if Kagome's theory is correct, then all they needed to do was jump down the well and they'd be in a whole different continent. But while the traveling method was extremely convenient, he wondered how it could be that the well was working again. And why.

"Come on, slow poke! Let's go! You want to die, don't you?" Before he even realized, Kagome had bolted out of the door and down the stairs, racing to the Higurashi shrine. He stood there, baffled, hearing the slamming of the back door as the priestess made her way to the well.

The spider hanyou decided it was best to follow. There was no possible way he could solve this well mystery just by standing around in Kagome's room. So, still holding on to his new favorite history book, he, too, hurried to the shrine, ready to jump down.

When he got to the shrine doors, he found Kagome standing next to the well, silent with shoulders slumped. Her posture was decorated with hints of sorrow and depression, though there seemed to be no explanation for the sudden change in mood.

"Is the well not working?" Naraku questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

She immediately stood up straight, startled by his sudden question and a little embarrassed that he caught her in such a melancholy state, "N-No... I haven't tried it yet. I guess I'm just remembering that the last time I went through the well... it brought me-"

"To Inuyasha." He finished her statement, and she only nodded solemnly, her mind drifting back to her time in the Feudal Era with her friends. Now, she felt as though she took it all for granted. Maybe, if she appreciated the connections she had made, she would have been able to make it back to them.

"Now, the well is going to take us somewhere different... And I'm just a little scared that its connection to the Feudal Era is lost forever." She confessed, lowering her head in shame. She knew that there had never been a guarantee that the well would take her back, but now, getting ready for it to transport them across the world, it felt like she was being forced to let go of Inuyasha forever.

He approached her slowly, not feeling much sympathy, but rather realizing that he heavily preferred her giddy attitude to her being miserable.

"You haven't seen anyone in five years. This is your one opportunity to figure this entire shit-show out and you're concerned about a man you were never guaranteed to see again?" He hissed, though trying not to sound to condescending. His goal was to convince her stop despairing with the use of logic.

"You're such a jerk!" It was not the response he expected, "I will always be concerned about him! And I'll always wish that I could see my friends again!"

She shot him a look of rage and he took a step back, convinced that he had seen hellfire in her eyes.

"Fine! Let's go since it's such a waste of time to miss the people you care about!" Without hesitation, she threw herself down the well almost impulsively. He began to wonder about the odds that Kagome did most things without thinking, but brushed it off. He figured he said something that could be considered insensitive, but it didn't bother him. In fact, his only concern was that she get her head in the game so he could rest in peace.

However, he had hoped to share his concerns over why the well was working again in the first place, but knew he probably wasn't going to get the chance immediately, as she was fraught with sadness. His arm lifted to scratch his temple, wondering why he got stuck with such a 'moody' girl.

"Still, there is nothing left for me to do now but jump." He concluded. He looked down at the bottom of the well and saw emptiness, meaning that the well had taken her somewhere at least, which was a good sign.

"It is time to get this over with." He sighed, before jumping down himself. He felt the rays of light engulf him, bringing about warmth and a feeling of safety as the light covered his skin. And when it all disappeared, he was sitting on the cold, wet ground.

His eyes dashed upwards and he saw sunlight.

 **So, that's it for now! I hope you all enjoyed it! There's no riddle this time around, although expect some more as our characters seek out the truth to the end of the world.**

 **Let me know what you think! Are they in Cape Town or somewhere completely different? I'd love to hear your opinions on everything so far. I plan on updating soon but I'd like to give people a bit more time to try to guess what's going to happen now.**

 **I have a plan with everything, so don't worry! I'll try to update very soon!**

 **(And I broke my 3,000 word limit, but only by a bit!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Arrow on a Tree**

 **I'm just going to dive right in. Thanks for the reviews!**

Naraku jumped out of the well, using his demonic abilities to launch himself, landing on the ground directly next to the well. As he stood tall, he took in his surroundings, noticing the blue sky above them, but seeing a brick building surrounding the area on all four sides. He cocked an eyebrow, intrigued by this building design, as it seemed it was built around this outdoor area. It was a cute little courtyard. There was a single tall tree in front of him, and Kagome leaned against it, her back facing him.

"Glad you decided to show up." She growled, not bothering to turn and face him.

"Impatient dolt. I was a mere few minutes behind you." He rolled his eyes at her continuous attitude, his mood darkening by the second.

"Well, hurry up and look at this. Whoever is leading us around left another note on this side of the tree." She huffed, turning to motion him over. He followed her to look at the other side of the tree, somewhat satisfied that they didn't have to wait long for another hint.

Although, as the note faded into view, there was something suspiciously familiar at how it was being presented to them that he couldn't ignore. And by the looks of it, Kagome didn't seem too pleased with it either.

"So, this mysterious messenger thought it would be clever to pin their next note onto a tree with an arrow." He mused, not even bothering to read it yet. He crossed his arms and couldn't help but smirk at the cruel joke, knowing that it must have hit the priestess hard. Everything about it was ironic.

Kagome, on the other hand, couldn't stop shaking, her hands balled up into little fists. Rage struck her with lightening and rang like thunder in her ears, and if she could wrap her fingers around the doers throat, she definitely would.

 _So, a direct reference to Inuyasha, huh? What kind of person does that?! ... Maybe the world just loves torturing me... Naraku, the monster behind Inuyasha getting pinned to a tree with me, the girl who set him free..._

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she rapidly blinked them away, taking slow, deep breaths to calm herself.

"Calm down, girl." The spider hanyou quipped, "Don't you see? Whoever this is wants us to know that they know all about us. They know who Inuyasha is and everything about our pasts."

Her shaking stopped abruptly, and her anger seemed to disperse. She glanced over at him with wide eyes, her mouth agape, "... No one from this time besides my family knew about Inuyasha. Only those from the Feudal Era."

"This continues to be quite the annoying mystery, now doesn't it." He reached his hand up to grab the note, but then stopped and turned towards the priestess, "Perhaps you should be the one who pulls the arrow from the tree. It's fitting, isn't it?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, fuming at the joke, but nonetheless reached out her hand and pulled the arrow, using the other hand to grab the bottom side of the note to prevent it from falling. When it was free, she dropped the arrow to the ground and pulled the note closer to her face so she could read it out loud.

"A pirate's worthless victory, the devil comes again." She blinked, "Well, what does that mean?"

Naraku's brows drew together, creases forming on his pale forehead, "So, a pirate and the devil... Isn't this quite peculiar..."

He grabbed the note from her hand, reading it over and over to himself, his mouth forming the words though no sound came through, "...Well, it seems we may need to think more about this one." He breathed out a heavy sigh, one that brought his eyes to a temporary close. Stress played on his eyelids like heavy weights, his mind rapidly trying to solve this.

"It has to be directing us somewhere, again. Right?" At the sound of her voice, his eyes snapped open, "I mean, what else could this mean. It has to be the place where this pirate got his 'worthless victory'... But, could that mean that the Devil himself will be there?" She shuddered, suddenly not so sure about figuring this out. What could she possibly learn from the Devil? Would he not just want to drag her to Hell?

"There is only a single way to find out. And that is to research this Cape Town. What better way to do it then by exploring the Mother City herself?" The spider hanyou glanced around him, locating the door that led to the inside of the brick building and swiftly walking in that direction. Kagome noticed this and quickly followed him inside.

As they entered, they found themselves in a long, almost neverending hallway. Kagome noticed bulletin boards decorated with different colored sticky notes. She saw half-open doors revealing empty, fallen chairs and desks, binders and pens scattered on the ground.

"T-This is a school." She muttered, her jaw tightening at the sight. Pictures of Cape Town students were hung up, their happy faces almost just staring at the priestess as she walked by.

 _All these kids just disappeared from the world. And I can't help but wonder... Were they hurrying too? These messy classrooms... Is it telling a story of worry? In Tokyo, I saw briefcases on front lawns, cars that hit lamp posts, and open front doors... Was the whole world panicking, too?_

"Where children come to study, correct? Hmm... not surprising. The colors, the silly drawings, it all makes sense." He didn't seemed phased by the fact, but rather just kept it moving. She didn't slow down, either, though she couldn't help but feel a pull in her heart as she thought of all these kids scared of something.

As they turned the corner, they saw large open door that were letting in rays of sunlight, and they knew it must lead to the outside. They both automatically sped up, eager to progress and get answers. But as they neared the door, Kagome noticed a little shelf against the wall with little pamphlets.

"Look, Naraku!" She grabbed his arm and pointed to the pamphlets, excitedly.

He frowned, "What is this gibberish?"

It hadn't dawned on her that Naraku, as intelligent as he may seem, only knew Japanese. The pamphlets available were separated into three separate languages, one of them being English, though she wasn't able to identify the other two. She assumed they must be more local languages.

"English was the most popular language in my era. I took a class to learn it in school." She explained, picking up the English pamphlet, "While some students never really picked it up even after studying it, I did really well. I was one of the few people who could communicate at a 8th grade level."

"I haven't a single clue what that means, but if you can read it, be my guest." He crossed his arms, curious at the odd markings, shocked that it was considered a language.

"This little pamphlet is titled 'Culture of Cape Town'. Maybe we'll learn something about a pirate." She opened it, scanning the text on the small pages, glancing at the little pictures, but remaining quick in her search.

It was only after a few minutes that the priestess began rapidly pointing at a page that Naraku leaned over to take a peek, though not understanding a lick of it anyways.

"It's a little blurb about this old folk tale called 'Table Mountain's tablecloth'. I'll read it to you." She jumped excitedly, settling down as she began, "'There was a retired, Dutch pirate named Van Hunks who smoked atop the slopes of the Devil's Peak. So one day, a stranger appeared and challenged him to a smoking contest. Van Hunks had an ego that would never turn away from a duel, so he agreed. Days passed as they blew their smoke, soon covering the mountain top in a cloud-like blanket. And as the pirate won this contest, the stranger revealed himself to be the Devil, who didn't fancy losing to a man. Van Hunks was never seen again, leaving behind the mass tablecloth of smoke.'"

As she read the story, Naraku wrinkled his nose, "That fool of a man was doomed whether he won or lost. What unfortunate luck."

"It isn't real, Naraku. It's just a legend." Kagome clarified, giggling at the hanyou. "But the note was probably referring to this place. This Devil's Peak. Which, according to this pamphlet, is part of Cape Town's Table Mountain."

"Then let's waste no time in going there." He barked, irritated with her laughter, "Does that thing have some sort of map on it?"

Kagome quickly rushed through the pages, "Yup! On the last page, actually."

"Then, let's hurry up and go." He grabbed her wrist, dragging her out of the school building and into the streets.

"Whoever brought us here really knew what they were doing." Kagome mused, "There must be more wells in Cape Town, but they brought us to the place where we could find the answer to the riddle."

"If you ask me, they should have just gave us the answer to begin with." He hissed, marching on. While he was right, she couldn't help but just be happy that they were making it this far. She hadn't been on a journey like this in a long time.

She peered down at the map to get a good sense of what direction they had to go, find that it was several miles away from the school. She scrunched her face, knowing that it would take some time before they made it there. And she couldn't imagine just walking with Naraku for too long without both of them wanting to strangle the other.

But then a curious thought popped into her head. She looked out to the streets, her eyes meeting with a few cars a few feet away, one with both doors open. She suspected that one may have a key, and was immediately pulled in their direction like a moth to flame.

"Hey, Naraku? Get in the car." She ordered, peeking through to see the keys already in the ignition in the open doored car.

"The what?" He looked almost repulsed as he shifted his gaze over to her.

She pointed to the vehicle parked in the stree, "This is a car. We sit inside and it can move us really fast to our destination." She guided him to the passengers side and he reluctantly ducked his head to sit down.

"This is quite an unfortunate invention. I could just use my demonic speed to get us there is no time." He scowled as he squirmed in the seat.

"That requires you to carry me, which doesn't seem like much fun." She shot back, walking over to the drivers side, where she shut the door and turned the car on. The loud noise startled the spider demon, though he didn't want to make a show of it, so he turned his head away from her,

"Shut the door, Naraku." She ordered, and he did was he was told, a scowl resting on his face.

She held the map up to the side of her, only having one hand on the wheel as she pressed on the gas, the car going into motion. She started at 25 miles, but quickly hiked it up to 75 as she sped through the city, tall silver building reminiscent of the ones in Tokyo. She smiled at the comparison, but wasted no time adoring the scenery.

Naraku, on the other hand, kept his eyes peeled on the fast passing city, taking notice of the colors, the lights, and the height of the skyscrapers. His face remained stoic, though. It looked just as cold and apathetic as always. However, his mind was racing with the wonders of everything. He thought about how anyone built everything. He thought about the mechanics of it. He wanted to know about the people themselves who resided here. The spider hanyou was blooming with curiosity.

Not that he'd ever share this with Kagome.

After a few minutes, Kagome pointed out the window, "That looks to be it. I'll pull-over in a bit and we can figure out how we plan on climbing this mountain."

Naraku nodded and in seconds, she found a spot that was a few minutes walk away from the base of the mountain. They got out, each looking around for any sort of clue as to what they'd find when they got there, but there seemed to be nothing in sight that could help them.

Or so they thought. As they neared the base, Kagome's gaze was called over to the trunk of a tall tree. She didn't think much of it, but as she focused, she could see a bow and arrows.

"...Naraku..." She whispered, "Look." She pointed to the tree and he immediately noticed what had caused his current travelling companion to get so wide-eyed. She took a deep breath.

"I would go and get it. We should be prepared for anything." He spoke calmly, though she knew what this meant. Whoever was sending them hints knew something was up. And they must have left this here for her to pick up before they got to Table Mountain.

She hustled over, grabbing it, and relishing in the memories of her glory days. Back when wielding this was second nature. Feeling it on the skin of her hands brought tingles throughout her body, like a flush of energy surging through her veins. It felt good, she couldn't lie. She felt like within each bow held a part of her that she had been missing.

However, as she snapped back into reality and scanned her surroundings one more time, she realized that she was still nervous. Still upset. And still lost in a pool of ignorance, without a single clue as to what would be to come or even if she would make it. Finding this bow and arrow didn't change that, even if it ignited something inside of her which she had lost long ago.

But she wouldn't run. She wouldn't hesitate. Kagome Higurashi wanted to solve this mystery. Even at the risks.

She returned to her spider hanyou ally, who looked her up and down momentarily before nodding at her. She repeated this act to him and they both shifted their gazes to the future. They watched Table Mountain. Both surveying the area with much focus, like an animal looking for its prey.

Naraku pointed to the nearest path, "There is no way to know for sure which way to take and where our next answer will be, but let's not stand around. Let's go."

Kagome looked at him and smiled. There was nothing left to do but take these steps forward. And they would. She had her bow and arrows and Naraku had his demonic strength, so any dangers they met would have to deal with that, and she felt pretty confident that they were formidable opponents. Well, she hoped anyways.

As they approached the path, Naraku stopped suddenly to look around. He didn't seemed panicked, though. His body was still as his eyes calmly scanned the environment, focus evident in his stoic expression. His brows closed together as he squared his eyes.

"Something isn't right." Was all he said, "Exert extra caution."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, "What's wrong, Naraku?"

He shook his head, "I...don't know. Let's just move forward. We should keep our eyes peeled for anything."

She nodded her head, not quite understanding his sudden concern for cautious behavior.

 _Did he sense something? Maybe... but why wouldn't he tell me? I know there is a lot of risk in traveling up this mountain, but it'd be nice to know what he's thinking. Maybe he still looks at me as somewhat of an enemy... I guess I can't blame him. Hopefully, we can work as a team when it really counts._

They kept going, nearing the path with each continuing step, closing in the distance like magnets, but all too slowly. Kagome was looking around, trying to remain alert as Naraku had requested of her. But she found herself so sucked into her thoughts of what was to come to even really process anything. Not her sight, her hearing, or anything.

That is, until a loud crash disturbed her mind and brought her right back to the real world, beside her demon ally and still several feet from the path. It almost looked as though a burning object had fallen from the sky, gray clouds swirling around it, concealing the mystery in its heavy smog.

"W-What's going on?" Kagome asked, taking a step back.

A loud chuckling began to echo through the smoke, like a layer of evil voices. It was low and chilling, and the priestess found her body freezing at the sound.

"So, you have come to me. Kagome." The smoke dispersed, revealing a man clad in a silver cuirass and black faulds, grey hair cascading down his back. His face was hidden by a plain and flat black mask that covered all but his eyes, and they were glowing through like a scarlet light.

"I have waited years. Sold my soul. Died and was reborn. And I did it all to reach this very moment." He stood tall, not even acknowledging the irritated spider hanyou, who was clenching his raised fists, growls emitting from his throat.

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?!" Kagome demanded, grabbing her bow and an arrow and aiming it.

"You may call me Akuma. It is the name I have adopted since my rebirth, and I think it fits me quite well." He paced to the side, his gaze locked on Kagome. Her arrow followed him as he moved.

"You only answered one question." She hissed.

But Akuma only laughed, "What do I want? That should be obvious. I want your soul. The soul of Kagome the Pure. Kagome the Destroyer of Evil." Now, the priestess flinched, her aim faltering a bit as he spoke.

"You are quite the legend, you know. Eradicating the single greatest source of evil to ever exist on this Earth." He continued, "Until now, of course. Chosen by Kami himself, loathed by all of Hell, you have made quite the impression on this world."

Suddenly, the aching familiarity of his voice dawned on her, "I... I know you. Don't I? Reveal your true name!"

"Of course you know me. I speak with the voice of Satan, and we both have talked to you before. Tempted you. Fought with you." His smile could be heard as he spoke, "But I... I am quite tired of speaking. Kagome the Pure is nothing more than a glorification of some small priestess who made a good wish. She is nothing but a delicious soul that I shall devour."

With that, Akuma surrounded himself with blue fire and ran at the girl, who shot her arrow with much haste. He easily dodged the blow, his body leaning forward as he continued to lunge.

But she never felt the flames. Her eyes had shut with anticipation of the end, her body stiff as a stone, lips parted as she took what she thought would be her last breath. Each moment became its own entity, lasting as long as possible, but she never felt the flames. Her dizzy eyes slowly opened to see nothing but red. Bright, red.

"Keh, you're gonna have to get through me first, bastard."

 **This was fun to write. I apologize for the delay. I was traveling cross country to start my sophomore year so it has been quite the journey. Anyone want to guess who has appeared? Or the true identity of Akuma?**

 **Let me know what you think! Can't wait to write more of this.**

 **Btw, only the important sites are based on real places in Cape Town. The school isn't based on any real school, etc etc. The legend of Tablecloth mountain is actually a real myth I learned from my host family when I stayed there for my Spring break and enjoyed all the folklore. I figured we have so many stories based on Western mythology, why not focus on something new. I hope you liked it! (If you want to see the smoke covered mountain, just search it up! It looks really cool.)**

 **Quick clarification:  
Cuirass- A piece of armor that consists of breastplate and backplate fastened together  
Faulds- Plate armor worn beneath breastplate  
Akuma- Devil in japanese. Also name of a fire demon (though this villain is not that fire demon)**

 **Please review my fic. I'd like to keep up with your thoughts.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Reunion**

 **I love all the support for this fic! Semester starts tomorrow so I'll try to update multiple times a week but that just may not happen so sorry in advance for all the lateness. Even though I was late this time too o.O**

 **Anyways, here we go!**

"Kagome, I didn't know you were in the business of keeping pets. What a cute surprise." Akuma jumped back, though there was no sign of fear. Rather he seemed amused, chuckling as he landed a few feet away.

"W-What? Inu...Inuyasha?" Kagome inhaled rapidly, though no matter how many breaths she took, it never felt like enough. Her disbelief was stealing the air like a thief living in her lungs. Her jaw remained dropped like a wooden puppet, unable to close it by herself. The sun was hailing high in the sky, creating a shadow of the Silver hanyou that covered her up. She was swallowed whole by his appearance, gracefully shaking in place.

He slightly turned his head, but not enough for his face to appear to him. She could faintly see the tip of his pointed nose, but his cascading silver hair covered the rest of his profile. In one swift movement, his pulled the all too familiar Tessaiga, which busted from its sheath in a flash of glory. The priestess jumped back as it did, every little noise and sudden movement stinging her. When she saw the large sword, she felt safety rush and cling to her like wet clothes on skin.

"So... the dog has made it to the fight. You weren't the worst opponent I've ever had, so don't fail now." Kagome slowly turned her head to see Naraku still standing in place, a cocky grin on his face as he slowly levitated off of the ground.

"When I smelt your sorry ass with Kagome, I almost didn't believe it. But if you wanna take on this guy, I ain't gonna stop ya." Inuyasha hunched over, sword gripped firmly in his hands.

"H-Hey! Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, gathering her senses and wanting Inuyasha to turn so she could see his face. Part of her just didn't believe it.

"Stay here, Kagome." His voice was gruff and stern, "Don't do anything stupid."

She didn't have much time to be offended at this comment before he took up, launching himself into the air, leaning forward with his sword as he whipped it into the air.

"Wind Scar!" He flipped in the air as bright energy gathered around Tessaiga and exploded in the direction of Akuma. Akuma jumped up, rapidly moving to the side to dodge the attack. As he landed, Naraku lifted his arm in the enemy's direction, his fingers extending and morphing into black tentacles that shot out in his direction at an immense speed. However, Akuma managed to dodge this attack as well, jumping to the opposite side. The tentacles dived into the ground where he as stood with a crash, pieces of Earth and debris lifting from the ground and forming a dusty smoke cloud. Naraku retracted his tentacles with a scowl.

"Quite the team." Akuma snickered, "Although, you already know each other's fighting style after constantly trying to kill the other. Hehe."

"You're just all talk." Inuyasha growled, standing straight, "Just shut up and fight."

"If you insist." He lifted his hand, palms facing the sky, and a small flame appeared centimeters above his hand. It grew wider, stretching perpendicular to his arm. Kagome found it quite curious, and everyone watched it carefully. From beneath the little fire, Kagome saw a something begin to appear, but couldn't make out what it was. But as the flames dispersed, she saw that an ax had materialized within it and was now rested in Akuma's hand. It was gold, it's shine threatening the sun itself.

Without a word, he ran towards Inuyasha, pale feet slamming against the grass with force. Inuyasha gripped Tessaiga, jumping into a sprint to meet Akuma halfway.

 _I need to get a grip. It's not the time to freak out about the fact that the same guy I've been thinking about for years just showed up out of the blue, unexplained..._ Kagome thought t herself, becoming increasingly aware of the situation at hand. _I have to help or we'll all be dead before I can even really talk to him._

Inuyasha took another swing at Akuma, who met Tessaiga with his golden ax. There was a loud clashing noise similar to the sound of clanging glass. Each withdrew their weapons back, just to lash out again and be met with the same outcome, neither weapon overpowering the other. Naraku launched the tentacles from his hand again, but to no avail. The vicious enemy just smirked and in the spider hanyous direction, then slammed his ax to the ground with much force.

"Take this!" He shouted as the ax created a large fissure that quickly traveled through to reach Naraku. Red flames burst through like hands reaching for the skies, smoke rising and dancing in the air. Naraku barely managed to float away, seemingly caught off guard by the attack. The fissure ended where he had stood, creating a small explosion.

Akuma slammed the ax down again before Naraku's feet hit the ground. The same fiery fissure broke out from the ground, running towards the spider hanyou. His eyes widened as he watched, feet finally reaching the ground. He bent his knees as quickly as he could, using the maximum amount of force to leap up. But it wasn't fast enough. The fissure exploded where he had stood, fire and earth flying around. His legs were caught in the explosion, and as he fell several feet away, his back crashed into the ground. He winced in pain, but managed to sit up. Blood spilled through from his injuries like a leaky faucet.

"Damn..." He growled, squaring his eyes over at his enemy, awaiting his final blow. Akuma lifted his ax in both hands, holding it high above his head.

"Not so fast!" Inuyasha leaped into the air again, "Wind scar!" He swung his sword, the demonic energy bursting forth. He watched as Akuma leaped again, effectively dodging the blow. He chuckled at the attempt, preparing to counter.

But he didn't get the chance. Right before he reached the ground, an arrow flew through his shoulder, catching him off guard. He yelped as the spiritual energy burned through his insides.

He crashed to the ground, swallowed by the dust and debris that that twirled around in an earthy cloud that had lifted up. Kagome, who has now proudly gripping her bow, took a step forward, never taking her eyes off of the smoke. She squared her eyes as the dust drifted away, the cloud fading. Inuyasha snarled, bearing his fangs as he awaited Akuma.

However, as everything faded back into view, all they saw was the empty ground.

"Huh?" She questioned, her head tipping to the side as she analyzed the empty space. "Did he just disappear?"

"I can't sense his demonic aura anymore." Inuyasha huffed, shoving Tessaiga back in its sheath. He growled, every part of him wanting to bathe in Akuma's blood.

Naraku closed his eyes, focusing hard as his wounds quickly healed. Quick regeneration was always his strong suit. He just needed to concentrate. Especially now that his heart was in his body. He was no longer immortal. He was alive and could die.

He was watched by the other two until he was completely fine, and then he stood up, sighing angrily. "I don't know who this man is, but I want his head on a platter." He brushed the debris off of him.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha, watching him revel in his anger without a single glance back at her. She curiously waited for him to turn and hug her. Or even show any signs of being reunited after so long, but he didn't. He crossed his arms and shut his eyes for a bit. His brows were furrowed together, hinting at his deep thoughts. He was calming himself down a bit.

"How did you get here, dog?" Naraku probed, approaching him, "You should be back in time."

He opened his eyes, "Keh, that's a story for when we're not in a battlefield."

For the second time since his arrival, the silver haired hanyou turned to face the priestess, "Get on my back. Naraku can run alongside me. I'll take you to my home."

"Home? How long have you been here?" Her eyes widened, realizing that he couldn't have just arrived. He's been in this era for a while.

"Like I said, I'll tell you when we get there. Just shut up and get on my back." He turned his back to her and knelt down low enough for her to jump on. She watched him curiously, hesitating. She took a breath as she processed his words. He was treating her as if she hadn't even left, like these eight years didn't have any impact on him. She scowled, feeling her heart tear a bit. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

"You could at least try to be a bit more friendly." She mumbled, climbing on his back. She heard his growl a bit at her comment, but she swallowed the rest of her anger for now. They had just been attacked by some unknown man who wants to devour Kagome's soul, and he had protected her, even if it did seem reluctant. She'd give him time to change his attitude or at least explain what's gotten him so cold.

Inuyasha looked over at Naraku and nodded at him, taking off in the opposite direction of the mountain. His feet pounded against the ground as he pressed on, his arms holding her thighs. She let herself feel the wind fly through her, pleased with the current situation. In truth, she had missed just riding on Inuyasha's back. The feeling of freedom that came with the dancing of the wind around her and the blurry passing of her surroundings was something she was grateful for, even if he was being a bit of a jerk at the moment. She looked over to see Naraku floating beside him. She had almost forgotten about all of his powers and abilities. And levitating was one of them. She smiled in his direction, even though he wasn't looking. It was such an odd life she lived, but these moments in time made it all seem worth it.

"There." Inuyasha pointed forward at a large building in between tropical trees. The grandiose fountain in front of the pale gold structure was the first indicator of its luxurious background. Kagome marveled at its magnificance as it stretched tall and wide.

"T-This is where you live?" She stuttered, somewhat amazed and excited that he chose such a fancy place to live.

"Yup." Was he quick response, but she could tell he was smirking, enjoying that she was impressed. She smiled, too.

They approached the door and Inuyasha let Kagome off of his back. Naraku cocked an eyebrow as he gazed through the glass entrance, seeing the beautiful decor that awaited them. Both her and the dog hanyou watched him, knowing he's never seen anything like it. Granted, Inuyasha hadn't either, but it still amused him to watch Naraku so enthralled.

Wordlessly, Inuyasha led them in and immediately Kagome knew this had been a hotel. She saw the front desk, the pretty white couches that made up the few sitting areas, and the static TV that was up in the corner. The place was covered in an off white carpet lavished with gold designs and pure white wall paper. She didn't fail to notice the few suitcases just lying about, but swallowed her thoughts on what may have happened five years ago and just followed along with the others.

"So, Naraku, what brings you back from the dead anyways? Pretty sure we defeated your ass years ago." Inuyasha huffed, glancing over at the spider hanyou in an aggressively curious manner.

Naraku scowled, "You still have to explain yourself, dog."

Inuyasha paused, stopping in his steps. Kagome looked back at him, her eyes flashing with concern as he wrapped himself in his thoughts, his face stricken withseriousness.

"Keh. Alright." He finally said, staring her in the eyes as he spoke, "I'll tell ya what happened."

 **What did you all think about it? Anymore thoughts on Akuma? What about theories on why Inuyasha got to the modern era? Why is he so cold to Kagome?**

 **I would like to dedicate my fic to my bio professor who already sent us the midterm study guide (with chapter summaries).**

 **Well, review and let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Lost Memories**

 **I am actually extremely excited for this chapter, which is why it took so long. I had an original idea that really didn't fit and felt forced with the plot. This idea popped in my head and I've been developing it ever since.**

 **Sorry for the lateness. So many papers and tests have left me completely drained, but I am ready to write!**

Kagome sat down on one of the many soft, white couches while Naraku leaned on the armrest, his arms crossed as he impatiently waited for Inuyasha to tell his story. In truth, the resurrected spider hanyou was interested to hear the silver-haired man's journey to this era. He could sense the uneasiness between both him and the priestess, and wondered if something had happened to bring about the cold shoulder she was receiving. Not to mention, there had to be some sort of clue to this whole situation. Half-dog-demons don't just get to jump down a well and end up in Africa.

Inuyasha stood, his back facing the two as he thought back to his initial arrival. He almost couldn't bring himself to tell the tale, wincing as his memories resurfaced. However, he just shook his head. He needed as much clarification as they did, "Keh, when I jumped between you and Akuma, I heard you gasp. Y-You... were so surprised..." He looked down, reliving his internal shock when she stuttered his name in disbelief.

"Well, of course I was! The well has been disconnected from the Feudal Era since I wished the jewel away... Inuyasha, I thought I'd never see you again." She defended, now boggled by his statement. He stayed quiet momentarily, his fists clenched as she confirmed what he had thought to be true the minute he saw her. He grit his teeth, this confirmation making his story that much more harder for him to tell. He took her scent in, lips twitching as he tried to keep himself composed.

"Inuyasha..." The priestess whispered, "You're acting like... like I was supposed to know that you'd be here..."

The room went silent for a bit, and a gust of wind seemed to blow between them from nowhere in particular. Inuyasha's insides were pounding like drums, deep and low yet ever so apparent to him. He didn't know if he could go on, now. Her voice was coated in candy confusion, too sweet to ruin. And yet, he knew he had no other choice. He had never doubted what he saw that day, not even for a minute. His experienced had rotted him a bit, but not enough to defeat his resolve. He knew better than to keep this a secret, especially now.

He turned to face her, slowly at first but then his movements quickened. His golden eyes pierced through her chocolate ones, melting into each other at an unfamiliar intensity that made Kagome uncomfortable. She looked down for a bit, then back up, unsure of what to make of everything that was happening. He had seemed almost mad by her back on the battlefield, and now she got the feeling that it had something to do with the fact that he thinks she should remembering him returning. And it concerned her to no end.

"Keh, guess you really don't remember it, huh?" He huffed, looking away, "I can't tell if that's a good thing or not..."

"Remember what?" She snapped, standing from her seat and leaning in closer to him, her hands gripping her hips, "Just spit it out already, will you? You've been treating weird all day and I'm positive it has to do with whatever I supposedly forgot. So just say it!"

He rolled his eyes at her all-too-familiar attitude, though understanding where her frustration came from. He glanced back over at her pouting face, fumbling with the words in his brain so they'd come out right.

"Dammit! I saw you five years ago!" He shouted, his teeth gritting together as he forced the words out of his mouth.

This confession caused Kagome's body to return upright as she gasped, "Five years ago...you mean-"

"-When the world ended. Yes. That day." He interrupted her, and she found herself wrapped in horrified confusion as she recalled the entire event. Only, she could only remember her random psychosis at the well, where she was saved from the world's demise. She had heard the destruction, but wasn't present for it, and when it was done, she remembered her suffering perfectly. There was no room in the day for Inuyasha to have appeared. And there's no way she would have forgotten.

"That's impossible. You must have been hallucinating." Naraku hissed, remembering that day as it was still so salient in his memory, "Kagome was clinging to the well on that day, with me protecting her." This caught Inuyasha's attention, and he turned his gaze to look at the dark haired man. The air in the room seemed to stiffen, caught in place with the thick tension that grew in the atmosphere.

"Well, I don't know what to tell ya. I saw her here in Cape Town when the whole thing was happening. And it was not pretty." The silver-haired man crossed his arms and turned his nose up towards the ceiling, feeling ever confident in his words. There was nothing in the whole world he was so sure of.

But Naraku's patience only thinned, "She was with me that day, you fool! After death, I resided within the well in peace and serenity. She came to the well in search of refuge and, in order to make amends with my dark past, I saved her. There is no possible way that she could have been here!"

"Seeking refuge? Don't make me laugh!" He shot back, immediately regretting his words as they flew out of his mouth. He paused before looking over at the dark-haired woman, seeing her eyebrows cocked up in curiosity. He hadn't planned on saying it so bluntly, but he was afraid his smart mouth may cause him to hurt her more than he would like.

"What's...so funny about that?" She questioned, her heart beginning to race quickly.

He shook his head, "It's not that it's funny or anything. It's just... you were..." He bit his bottom lip as his voice quieted itself.

"Start from the beginning, Inuyasha." She spoke calmly, though her mind was racing with possibilities. Did she even believe him? Could she have really seen her and she not remember the whole ordeal? Truth is, she herself doesn't remember the full extent of everything. It was like she was fading in and out of reality and into madness. So, it wasn't impossible.

"I visited the well every three days for you. Hoping that one day, you'd return." He started, making sure to look everywhere but at her, "Everyone was playing in the forest so I quietly escaped to the well just to check. I ain't think much of it though. It'd been so long that it didn't even seem possible at that point. But I still went. And when I looked down at the bottom, I saw a light that damn-near blinded me for a second. I was... happy... because I thought it was you returning, but the light didn't fade away and you never came..."

He paused in his story, imagining what could have been if she had appeared to him. Imagining the life they could have had if they had all been reunited that day. But he shook it off. He was getting to the real hard part, so he took a moment to conjure up all the strength he had to continue talking.

"The light grew bigger, and soon, I was pulled in by it. I ain't fight it much 'cause I thought it'd bring me to your shrine. But when I jumped out, I was in this weird place with all these people running around. It was chaos." He inhaled, "I thought the well messed up and brought me to some insane future era where everyone had just gone crazy."

"And then?" Kagome's eyes widened as she anticipated her arrival.

"And then I saw what people were running from." He responded, now looking her dead in the eyes as he spoke, "At first, I didn't get a good glance. I just saw a glowing black aura surrounding some figure with what seemed to be a javelin... I saw the figure attacking everyone, and when the tip of the weapon hit, the victim would vanish in a cloud of smoke."

Now, Naraku was interested, his eyes locked on his fellow hanyou with not a single word. If there was any truth to this, it could greatly aid him on his path and help him figure out why he's here in the first place.

"The figure saw me and appeared in front of me... I heard her tell me to leave. That I didn't belong here... And at the sound of her voice, I lost consciousness..." He stopped, knowing that he wasn't going to get away with this story.

"... So, where was I?" Kagome pleaded. She bit her lower lip as she awaited his response, feeling the rush of anxiety as he hesitated to answer. A part of her knew she wouldn't like it, but she still needed to know or she would go completely insane.

"Kagome..." He murmured, his voice low and raspy, "Somewhere along the line, I realized the weapon wasn't a javelin, but an arrow without a bow..."

She stopped breathing.

"You were the one killing everyone."

 **So, what did you think? You have to let me know! I'm super excited for everyone to read this. Is Kagome the killer or is Inuyasha mixing her up with someone else? Let me know any theories or ideas you have, and I'll start the next chapter right up for everyone!**

 **Thanks for reading! (PS. I know it's a little short but I really felt like I needed to end it right here.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Recovery**

 **Alright I really hope you all like this next chapter. I appreciate the reviews so keep 'em coming. I have a lot of plans for this story and I feel like it's really just getting started despite already have 7 chapters.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

"I was the... there's no way... I'd never..." Kagome bit her bottom lip, drawing blood as her teeth pressed hard, her mind aggressively trying to make sense of what Inuyasha just told her. Everything in the room began to spin, until her vision blurred so much so that she couldn't even see the silver-haired man standing before her. Once again, she found herself tiptoeing on the line of insanity, her breathing becoming less and less patterned. Still, she grabbed hold of the idea that Inuyasha must be mistaken to calm her as she felt her body numb.

"Kagome..." His voice poured through her ears, working as her clarity against her astonishment. She could barely see him as he outstretched his hand to rest it against her shaking shoulder. The feeling of his skin against hers snapped her back, and she watched him as he watched her. His concern that she had been lost to evil had been vanished now, her reaction as genuinely shocked and terrified at the revelation as it could possibly be. Guilt peeked its head as he regretted the cold way he treated her, but he was relieved that he hadn't accused her immediately. Had he relived his mistrust with Kikyo again, he would surely never forgive himself.

"Oh please, stupid girl, do you actually believe this?" Naraku spat, rolling his eyes at the priestess who was blinking furiously to prevent any tears from falling down her rosy cheeks, "In case you've forgotten, I was once able to trick Inuyasha into believing that his beloved betrayed him. Who is to say this is not the same situation."

At that, Inuyasha stood, bearing his fangs, "I've experienced your trickery, which is why I can tell the difference between some bastard demon disguising themselves and the real deal."

"And tell me, hanyou Inuyasha, what is the difference?" The sarcasm that coated his words made Inuyasha's muscles twitch in agitation, his eyes narrowing in on his former enemy, peaceful gold bursting into a violent horizon. He stifled a growl in the back of his throat, knowing that he should refrain from getting too wound up in front of Kagome, who was now curiously looking up at him as well. He knew she was hoping that he wouldn't have an adequate explanation, and that the possibility that someone merely copied her appearance remained one that she could believe in.

"Her spiritual powers. I sensed that the monster was a human... a priestess." Inuyasha grumbled, "And when she looked me in the eyes for the first time, she flickered. For a second, the darkness that surrounded her became light. I'd recognize that aura anywhere. I dunno if someone possessed her or what, but that woman I saw was no doubt Kagome. Or at least it was her body and her powers."

Naraku contemplated this for a second. A demon could morphe themselves into a human, but to recreate a priestess's powers and aura, especially one as strong as Kagome's, would require a skill level unheard of. And while he could get on boat with the idea that she was possessed, he knew without a doubt that Kagome had been in the shrine. There was no way he could have imagined it. "Perhaps it was another priestess."

"Another priestess? Keh, I ain't confusing Kagome with another priestess, let me tell you. I know her scent like I know the back of my hand." His dog ears twitched at the suggestion, "Ain't no person on this planet knows Kagome better than me at this point. I'd be willing to bet my soul on the fact that it was her."

"If only." The black haired hanyou sighed, shaking his head.

Inuyasha huffed, "Hey! What's that supposed to-"

"Hey hey hey! Stop it!" Surprising both men, Kagome rose to her feet, placing both hands on her hips as she ordered silence, "We're supposed to be working together, aren't we? How will we ever figure this out if you both keep fighting like little kids!"

They both watched her with wide eyes, and after a moment, her hands fell down to her side and her shoulders slumped, "I just found out that there's a possibility that I'm the one who killed my family. And even if I didn't, I'm in some way connected... So, I'd appreciate if you idiots shut up for a little bit!"

No other words were spoken for a bit, everyone in understanding that the arguing was ruining their chances of progression. Kagome's eyes dashed to the ground as everyone stood in their quiet contemplation, the tension in the room thinning out a bit. Her slow, patterned breathing became Inuyasha's focus for a bit, listening to the hushed sound of her respirations as her chest rose and fell at a steady pace. He found himself breathing along with it, reminding him of earlier days where she'd be asleep along with the rest of their gang, and he's watch her, memorizing the pattern of breaths she took.

"Do you... Do you wanna rest for a bit?" He suggested, and her bright eyes dashed upwards from the ground to meet his, lips parted in noiseless shock that he dared to ask her. She was sure he'd be bent on finding the truth in this situation, but his empathy shimmered in the amber orbs, a sight she always appreciated.

"Yeah... that'd be great." She muttered.

Naraku, though rolling his eyes, didn't dare to say another word. He would much rather be continuing onwards looking for clues and hunting down Akuma, but not even he wanted to spark the wrath in the dark haired woman. Not to mention, he figured it'd be useless. He planned on scavenging the hotel in search for some interesting readings, hoping he'd learn something new.

"I'll show ya wear I sleep." He pointed over to the elevator, and the three began walking behind him. He clicked the button with the upwards arrow, much to Naraku's curiosity, and the golden double doors before them opened with a ding. Though there were many questions in his head, the perplexed man just followed everyone else inside, where he noticed Inuyasha click another button, this time one with the number 3 on it. The floor began to shoot up slowly for about 20 seconds before the golden doors opened again, except this time they were met with a long hallway decorated with off-white doors. With a cocked eyebrow, Naraku continued to follow the two through the hallway until they came upon a door labeled room 333. The silver haired hanyou opened it, revealing a moderately messy room, with sheets thrown everywhere and ripped curtains.

"This is my room." He announced before strutting inside. Kagome found the whole situation very Inuyasha of him. To be on floor 3 in room 333 was silly in and of itself, especially when their were a hoard of other available rooms. She stifled a laugh as she followed him inside.

"What is this odd place?" Naraku murmured.

"It's a hotel. We just took what's called an elevator, which is a little room that travels up and down to different floors. Each floor above the one we were on originally has rooms like this because it was meant for travelers to sleep in." Kagome explained, and he nodded in return.

"If that is the case, then I presume that I can return to this floor by clicking the 3 in the elevator?" He questioned.

"Yeah." She smiled back.

"Then, allow me to take my leave for now. While you rest, I will be searching for clues." He stated before turning and leaving. The other two watched as he disappeared down the hallway.

"How did this old bastard get here anyways?" He asked.

"As he said, his soul rested in the Bone Eater's Well up until earlier today. We don't really know why he was resurrected, but he's pretty bent on figuring it out so he can die again." She explained, shrugging.

"If he wants to die so badly, I'll chop his head off with Tessaiga." The amber-eyed hanyou half-joked. He turned and walked to the center of the room, taking a deep breath. Kagome followed him, sitting on the edge of the king sized bed. She glanced up at him to find that he was already gazing at her. She gulped at the intensity, looking away again, but finding that her eyes were unable to stray from his for too long before returning.

He swallowed, "Kagome... how are you feeling?"

"I'm alright considering the circumstances." She replied quickly, but felt her eyes water a bit, "I guess... I guess I really wanna figure this out... But I'm scared it won't matter much. If what you're saying is true, in the end, it's my face everyone saw before they died. It's my face _my mom_ saw before she died." She shifted in her seat, trying find a comfortable position, but being unable to. No matter how she sat, she was unbearably uncomfortable with herself. He noticed this, quietly wishing he could take away her pain.

"And no matter what happens, everyone will still be gone. And the world will always be too quiet. Too empty." She felt her own pessimism pressing down on her bones, her muscles tensing as she vocalized her fears.

"I'll make all the noise you want." He muttered, "If it'll make you happy."

Her heart began to pound, "Inuyasha..."

"Keh, so just stop being so damn sad. You're not alone anymore." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up into a standing position before wrapping his arms around her in the warmest embrace he could conjure up, "No matter what happens, you're a good person. And I'll always be here to remind you if ya forget. So, shut up for a bit, will ya?"

And in her heart, she felt a familiar tenderness, almost as if she was remembering how to be happy again. She couldn't be too sure if she deserved it, but for now she'd let it happen, even if she would be guilty about it later. She hugged him back and they stood like that for a few minutes, relishing in the affection of the other, like warm waves gently pushing against them, pushing them closer to each other. She felt her longing for him intensify. She needed him. She knew she always had. And now that he was here, she couldn't deny herself the safety she felt. She wasn't alone.

They let go of each other reluctantly, slowly backing away. Inuyasha shyly glanced around the room to avoid eye contact, but despite his reservations, he eventually found himself staring at her again. He had waited so long for this, to see her again. And he'd take full advantage of it.

"Get some rest." He ordered, pointing at his bed. She blushed at the thought of sleeping in the same place he's slept all these years, but still climbed in, resting her head on his pillow, taking in all of his boyish scents. He always smelt like the wilderness to her, not in a dirty way, just earthy and fresh. She snuggled against it, her lips curling upwards a bit as she got comfortable. She shut her eyes and let herself drift away, collecting all the positives in her mind and taking them with her into a deep slumber.

Inuyasha took his spot at the edge of the bed, facing her. He watched her breathe, memorizing the small ways her body moved as she fell asleep. He sighed in relief, happy that she could get some sleep after today, and even more happy that she was getting it in his bed, because now it meant she was back by his side, where he knew she was always meant to be. Where he needed her to be.

 **I obviously had to add some fluff in this because it is a romance. So, any more ideas on what happened? Inuyasha is pretty sure it was Kagome, although who knows. I love all of the predictions, so keep them coming. I'm happy everyone likes it! Let me know everyone!**

 **Can't wait to keep writing!**


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